The Worst and Best Parts of Having Kids

Most likely if you’re reading this right now, you either have your own kids or you have kids in your life that feel like your own. If that’s you, then your life (and the way you feel about life) probably has highs and lows.

A lot of time, people tend to talk about all the great and wonderful parts of having kids. Let me tell you, having kids is great! I love my kids, and I love to watch them grow and thrive, but it’s also crazy hard to be a parent.

I’m here to tell you the worst part of having kids. I’m going to be super honest, so here it is. The worst part of having kids is…

The kids.

Yes, you read that right…the worst part of having kids is the kids.

I mean, why are kids so needy? Kids strain all our resources and suck us dry. They drain my bank account, they suck my emotions dry, and I don’t think I’ve had a warm meal since 2010.

The worst part of having kids is definitely the kids.

And the hardest thing about my kids being my kids is this…they are basically a mirror of myself. Almost every frustrating character flaw and rude word that is uttered is learned from me. It’s as if they watch me and want to be like me, or something. It’s so annoying!

Kids are the worst!

If I want to know all the worst parts of myself, I have to look no further than the 6-year-old standing in front me, who is currently telling our cat how dumb he is. (To be fair, our cat is pretty dumb.)

It’s so hard to watch. It’s so hard to see my kids struggle with the same things that I do. It’s so hard to watch my kids react negatively towards a hard situation, and to hear them say the same words of frustration that I do. It makes me so sad to watch them wallow in bitterness and let their emotions control them. I watch my kids, and often feel like I’m failing them… or giving them really good material for therapy someday.

But do you know what the best part of having kids is?

The kids.

Because they react to things in the ways that are modeled to them, I also get to see the best parts of myself in them. I see my 4-year-old be quick to offer a hug when a family member is having a hard day. I see my 6-year-old reach out to the kids sitting alone on a bench at recess. I see the joy on my son’s face when he offers to help me around the house and I tell him how much it means to me.

I have taught my kids to love the lonely, to serve before being served, and that people are more important than things. They display all of those qualities right along with all the ones that I’m not so proud of.